Excited Or Aroused! Zakuro's Side
by LeaderOfTheCats
Summary: Set during the story of Tokyo Mew Mew, only from a different angle! When Ichigo gets excited, her ears and tail pop out! And In extreme measures, she turns into a cat! How would this apply to Zakuro, you may have asked. 3 chapters of Zakuro's exploits in discovering her powers, please enjoy!
1. Zakuro's Powers?

**This story is set before they got ****Zakuro**** to join their group, but right after they had been given their powers. Ichigo, at this moment, is running around school and freaking out. It's a day after they were infused, and ****Zakuro**** is busy working.**

Zakuro, a popular idol with a passion for everything, was one of the loneliest people in the world. She had very few true friends, since she was very cold. It wasn't hard to be friendly around people, but she wanted people to understand her as well. Unfortunately, this didn't seem to be close to happening. Zakuro had gone to the park recently, and had met some girls there. But a sudden earthquake made her faint, and she woke up near a refreshment machine. She didn't know how she got there, but she spent the rest of the day signing autographs. She wondered if she would ever meet them again, yet she figured that they weren't very nice. Most people weren't, they were so selfish and all they wanted was to be friends with a popular idol. They never tried to get to know Zakuro, acting like they were so cool.  
As Zakuro did her new spring photo shoot, she found her mind was wandering. She felt strangely alert, and she was feeling unusually hungry. Posing in a waving pose, she smiled only on impulse. The camera flashed, and there was a clap. "Wonderful, Zakuro-chan! Of course, you're good at everything." The woman who was taking pictures of Zakuro said, as she walked up to her.  
Zakuro turned to face her, chuckling softly as she did. She had heard that compliment before, although she didn't really believe it. "I'm sure it's only because of your excellent skills, Nami-san." She asserted, bowing low to seem thankful.  
Rolling her eyes, Nami pushed playfully on Zakuro's arm. "So modest! You're not at all like other idols!" She stated, turning away from Zakuro to check on her camera.  
Walking over to a folding chair, Zakuro sat down in it carefully. Taking a drink of her water, she noticed the magazine sitting on a nearby table. It was a fan magazine, full of information all about Zakuro. Letting out a heavy sigh, Zakuro crossed her legs. Most of it was untrue, just made up to make fans happy. Still, it wasn't like it really mattered.  
Zakuro took another drink of her water, when someone walked up to her. "Excuse me, Fujiwara-san?" A timid voice whispered from behind her, making Zakuro look up.  
The face was familiar, but she couldn't place the name. It was a girl with long black hair and pale skin, and she looked really cute. Smiling pleasantly, Zakuro got up from her chair. "May I help you?" She inquired, throwing her long hair over her shoulder.  
The girl swallowed hard, before nodding quickly. Thrusting out a piece of paper, Zakuro saw that she was holding a photo of her. "C-Can I have an autograph, please?" The girl asked, trying not to look into her eyes.  
Zakuro's smile flickered, but she managed to not frown. Getting out of her chair, she took a pen out of her pocket. "Sure, who's it for?" She questioned, trying to hide the annoyed tone in her voice.  
The girl looked up at her, as if she was shocked she didn't know. After recovering, she cracked a small smile. "I-I'm Mari, one of the back-up dancers for your new concert?" She reminded her, gripping the picture tight.  
Taking the picture from Mari, Zakuro signed it with a flourish. She was beginning to hate that photo, she had seen it too many times. Mari stared at Zakuro, as if trying to decide something. When she finished signing, Zakuro handed the photo back to her. "There, please continue to be my fan." She said, mostly out of habit.  
Nami ran up to her, with her usual amount of energy. "Zakuro-chan, you can go rest up now! We've got to set up for the next shoot, so you have about an hour!" She told her, leading Zakuro away from Mari. Unseen by Zakuro, Mari crumpled up the photo. Rubbing at her eyes, she ran off into the studio.  
Minutes later, Zakuro was laying on the bed in her trailer. She felt so odd recently, as if she was changing. It was getting a lot harder to be around people, and she was finding it hard to stay awake during the early morning shoots. It had all started around the time she met those girls, as if it was all connected to them. Zakuro rolled over, and she shut her eyes. It wasn't as if she didn't like people, it was just...she was sick of fake people. She tried not to pretend herself, and she didn't really. Smile when it was right to smile, even if it wasn't really what she was feeling. She had been trained to smile, like some sort of pet. They had trained her to do a lot of things she was tired of, even speak. Stretching out, Zakuro rubbed at her eyes. It'd be nice if she could just rest and wake up far away from here, she told herself.  
There was a loud knock at the door of Zakuro's trailer, making her jump. Pushing herself up from the bed, she ran over to the door. Opening it up, she saw Nami was standing there. "You have to evacuate, there's a strange animal attacking the studio!" She yelled at her, grabbing onto her hand.  
Nami started to pull Zakuro away, but a large paw knocked the trailer aside. Zakuro and Nami were thrown a ways, both of them crashing into a wall. Landing on the hard ground, Zakuro saw Nami hit her head hard. Pushing herself up, she reached out to move Nami. Something roared behind Zakuro, making her turn around quickly. A huge cat-like creature was standing there, stepping closer and closer to Zakuro. Grabbing onto Nami's arm, she started to pull her closer to herself. She had no idea what was going on, but she had guessed that an animal hadn't gotten loose from the zoo. Hissing loudly, the creature swiped at the two of them. Zakuro tossed Nami out of the way, instead getting hit by the claws herself. Nami rolled down into a patch of grass, far away from Zakuro. But Zakuro herself was lying on the ground still, aching from every bone. Breathing hoarsely, she pushed herself up onto her elbows. The creature was standing right in front of her, its bright yellow eyes staring down at her. Putting her hand on her stomach, Zakuro could feel the scratch there. Growling again, the creature swatted at Zakuro. Rolling out of the way, she got up to her feet quickly and ran off. The creature chased after her, although it could have easily caught her.  
Looking around, Zakuro prayed that there would be a nearby hiding spot. But she didn't see anywhere, and the creature was quickly gaining on her. Tripping over a trash can, Zakuro landed on her stomach. Shouting, she managed to push herself back up. The creature was stalking her, licking its chops and purring. Zakuro tried to get up, but she couldn't manage to stand up. Pushing herself up to her knees, she looked down at her stomach. There was a huge gash, but more interested, there seemed to be two marks just below the wound. Hearing the sound of loud purring, Zakuro looked back up. The creature was standing just above her, and it meowed at her. Zakuro shut her eyes, wincing in pain from the cuts. She couldn't be killed like this, it was insane!  
But then, Zakuro began to feel herself rise up, as if she was floating up. Opening her eyes, she saw a wolf standing before her. For a moment, she just stared at it, getting the sudden impulse to reach out her hand. The wolf jumped onto her, but it disappeared as it went into her. Zakuro winced again, as a bright light came out of her stomach. Her clothes and her hair began to change, as if she was transforming into someone else.  
Opening up her eyes, Zakuro hoped that it was only a dream. But the creature was still standing above her, as if getting ready to eat her. Grunting with effort, she suddenly kicked the creature in the face. Yowling, the creature back away from her. Zakuro jumped away from the cat, landing on the ground. She looked down at herself, and saw that she had changed. The mark on her stomach was clearly outlined now, and the cut was gone. Whatever was going on, Zakuro was determined to defeat this cat. Looking back at the creature, she started to walk towards it. The creature was getting to jump on her, not afraid to attack. Zakuro thrust her hand out, and she shut her eyes. "Ribbon Zakuros Pure!" She yelled, a cross-like object suddenly appearing in her hand.  
A pink light hit the creature, striking it in the face. It yowled loudly, falling down to the ground. Jumping up in the air, Zakuro hit the creature again. It began to shine, slowly shrinking. Something floated away from the creature, disappearing into the sun. A small cat looked up at Zakuro, quickly running. Landing softly on the ground, Zakuro pushed her hair out of her face. She hadn't really expected anything like this, but she felt like she had a lot of power. What was that thing?  
Zakuro heard a groan, gasping as she realized how she looked. Turning around, she saw that people were stumbling out from the wreckage of the studio. Before she could even react, she ran over to a nearby storage. Moving inside, she slammed the door behind her. Sinking to her knees, she let out a shaky sigh. She had no idea what to do, she seemed to be stuck like this. If anyone saw her like this, they'd be freaked out. Looking down at her knees, she shut her eyes for some comfort. She wanted to go back to normal, that was all. It'd be fine, if she could just do that. A strange warmth surrounded her and when she opened her eyes, she had gone back to normal. The cut on her stomach was gone, but she was okay otherwise. Yet in her hand, as if it had suddenly materialized, was a small pendant. Looking down at it, she wondered where it had come from. Knowing she was now back to normal, she knew she should go and help people out. Putting the pendant back into her pocket, Zakuro got up from the floor. Opening up the shed door, she saw there were people fixing things already, as if this happened all the time. Walking away from the storage shed, she remembered about Nami. She ran off towards where her trailer had been, not sure what had happened to her after that.  
Zakuro saw the destroyed trailer, and saw someone lying near it in the grass. Running over to them, she saw it was Nami. She was fine, except for a big bruise on her forehead. Wiping at her own sweaty forehead, she knelt down by her. Someone walked up to her, bending down to look at Zakuro. "Is she okay, ma'am?" A man asked, holding out a handkerchief.  
Zakuro looked up, and she saw a man in a trench-coat with his hair in a long brown ponytail. He didn't look like he knew who he was, instead staring down at the woman on the ground. Nodding, Zakuro pushed herself up to her feet. Turning around, she looked at the crew that was tidying things up. "Hey, could we get some help over here?!" She called to them, waving her arm in the air.  
The man continued staring at Zakuro, and he cleared his throat. Glancing at him, Zakuro was being to get annoyed by him. "Did you see what happened?" He inquired, sounding as if he thought she did.  
Pausing for a moment, she shook her head. "No, I hid inside the storage shed. It looked like a jaguar had gotten loose or something, but I really don't know." She commented, not wanting to tell anyone about what had happened. The man continued to stare at her for a bit, before turning away and walking off. Zakuro watched him go, wondering who he was. Already, the crew was tending to Nami. Looking back at them, she forgot about the man. She had transformed, and it wasn't that strange. At least she had managed to save Nami.

Farther away, the man in the trench-coat had stopped. He took a strange fluffy thing out of his pocket, and it flew up towards his face. Backing up, the fluffy thing started to beep as he did. It shone a blue light on the ground, a blond-haired boy appeared there. He blinked, before crossing his arms and smiling with amusement. "Is that really your disguise, Keichiro?" He questioned, stifling a chuckle.  
The man shrugged, straightening the trench-coat as he did. "I think it looks good on me, honestly." He stated, smirking at himself.  
Letting a heavy sigh, the boy stood up straight. "Did you see a girl there?" He wondered, looking quite annoyed.  
Nodding, the man looked back towards the studio. "I didn't even need to interfere, she took care of the problem all by herself. She's a lot stronger than Ichigo-chan, I should say." He answered, gripping his hands into fists. "But I don't think we can get her without the other girls, Ryou. She's awful cold, and she had the DNA of the grey wolf in her. " He asserted, looking back towards the blue light.  
The boy groaned, and he put his hand on his forehead. "I was hoping she wouldn't activate so soon, we don't have any way to take care of her. So she doesn't get in trouble, Keichiro, you keep an eye on her." He instructed him, the blue light disappearing.  
Staring down at the ground, Keichiro seemed to be deep in thought. As the fluffy pink thing landed on his shoulder, his smile faded. "Mm, okay..." He mumbled, not sounding like he really wanted to.

Zakuro had no idea what she had gotten herself into, even after she had fought that thing. But she was sure of one thing: she was changing. 


	2. Zakuro Manages It

**Set just after the previous story, at this time, Ichigo should've just found Mint. Zakuro has not yet encountered anything that bad about her powers, and no one has figured out about the Mew Mew's yet.**

One clear and warm day,two women were walking absent-mindedly through the park, just talking among themselves. The sun was shining bright through the trees, and a soft wind was blowing. One of the women adjusted her bag's strap, and she shrugged. "I don't know, I guess I might go." She commented, playing with her hair.  
The other woman chuckled, and she crossed her arms. "You'll have to go on a diet." She reminded her, both of them laughing at that.  
A hard wind blew, making the women stop. They both shivered, and the first woman rubbed at her arms. "Man, it's cold! I wonder-" She started to say, stopping as she heard something walk up behind them. The women stood there for a second, both of them too afraid to turn around. However, their curiosity got the better of them.  
The women turned around, and they saw a giant dog. It looked just like a Labrador, but much larger. It had a big jewel in the middle of its forehead, and its eyes were glowing red. It growled at them, and took another step forward. The women gasped, and they both started to run off. The dog chased after them, an odd pleasure in its eyes. As they were running, one of the women tripped. She fell down, and the other women stopped to run back for her. She grabbed her hand, and pulled her up. Just as the dog was about to leap on them, something hit the dog. The dog was thrown back, and the women ran off. The dog growled, and it looked up. Standing in a tree, was Zakuro, transformed into her other form. She had her weapon out, and she pulled the whip back to her. "You should pick on people your own size, puppy." She stated, pushing her hair over her shoulder. The dog snarled, and it jumped towards her. Zakuro jumped out-of-the-way, landing on the dog's back. She held her weapon up, pointing it towards the dog. "Ribbon Zakuros Pure!" She shouted, the whip wrapping around the dog's neck. A bright light shined, as the whip got tighter and tighter. The light disappeared, and there was a small ghostly shape floating there. It was right above a little Labrador, which looked extremely confused. The ghost flew away, and the dog ran away barking. Zakuro changed back to normal, and she straightened her sleeves. "People need to take care of their pets..." She muttered, looking down at her watch. She grunted, and started to run off. She was late again, as she had been for the past few days. It was kind of annoying, but at least people were safe. She hadn't been seeking out this monsters, but they kept finding her. Zakuro was wondering what was going on, but figured that it didn't really matter. She was doing fine, and it wasn't like there was anything she couldn't handle.

Zakuro was working as usual that afternoon, while all her classmates were on a trip. She didn't mind that, it wasn't like she hadn't expected all this. She almost never got to go on school trips, and she did have school to do. Zakuro was at an interview, promoting her upcoming concert. It was going well, she thought. Still, she knew how fast things could go wrong. "So, Fujiwara-san, I heard that you're planning to go on tour this year after your concert?" The interviewer asked, as he sat across from Zakuro.  
Zakuro smiled, and she shrugged. "If all goes well, and I manage to keep my fans." She commented, leaning back in her chair.  
The interviewer laughed, and he nodded. "Sure, Fujiwara-san, you're at the height of your popularity! What could possibly happen?" He questioned, leaning onto his knees.  
Zakuro paused for a moment, remembering about her new powers. Zakuro chuckled, and she smirked. "Almost anything, actually." She said, hesitantly.  
The interviewer looked up at the clock, and he got up from his chair. "We'll be back in fifteen minutes, with more news about Zakuro's upcoming concert." He told the audience, as he waved to the cameras.  
Zakuro waved slowly, a bit nervous about what could happen. "And...cut!" The director called, walking out from behind a set. Zakuro got up, and she brushed her hair over her shoulder. "Great job, Fujiwara-san! Thanks for being on our show!" He thanked her, shaking her hand as she extended it.  
Zakuro shook her head, and she smoothed her shirt out. "No, thank you. I know it's a lot of trouble to fit me in, and I thank you for the opportunity." She asserted, bowing low.  
The director and the interviewer laughed loudly, and they both walked off. Zakuro sighed, and she walked off towards her dressing room. She was so exhausted, she had been using her powers a lot lately. She was always rushing from one job to another, and she was barely on time for those. This transforming thing was tiring, and it didn't seem to be getting any better.  
As Zakuro walked into her dressing room, she felt as if she was about to fall asleep right now. She shut the door behind herself, and walked over to the mirror. She had fifteen minutes to herself, and she had to get tidied up again. It wasn't as if she had been doing anything major, but she always had to tidy up after an interview. Zakuro started to brush her hair, and she stared at herself in the mirror. It was hard to believe she had magical powers, even while she was fighting. It felt like it was just another role, and she had a hard time believing she was actually awake. Zakuro yawned, and she rested her head against her hand. "I'm so tired..." She muttered, beginning to doze off.  
Zakuro moaned, and her head dipped down. She fell asleep, her free hand falling down beside her. Zakuro was falling deep asleep, when she heard a faint knocking. Zakuro opened her eyes slowly, and she looked up. She looked around, and swallowed. There was a loud slam at the door, surprising Zakuro. She fell out of her chair, hitting her foot on the vanity desk as she did. Zakuro shouted, and she pulled her foot closer to herself. There was another knock, and the doorknob rattled. "Fujiwara-chan, are you okay?" Someone asked, pushing on the door.  
Zakuro pushed herself up, and she rubbed at the back of her head. She turned around to walk towards the door, and paused for a moment. She looked back at the mirror, and saw that she had suddenly grown ears. Zakuro stepped closer to the mirror, and she touched the ears gingerly. They drew back at her touch, and Zakuro gasped. She had been falling asleep a lot recently, and been surprised almost as often. She hadn't had ears pop out before, at least, as far-back as she remembered. "Fujiwara-chan!" The person called again, pushing harder on the door.  
Zakuro grunted, and she turned towards the door. "Uh, I'm fine! I'll be out in a second!" She shouted, rubbing at her ears. She sighed, and tried to figure out what to do. Maybe this was like the transforming thing, and she could just change back to normal. Zakuro touched her ears again, and she felt something touching her head. Zakuro lowered her hand, and she swallowed. She looked behind herself, and saw a little tail slowly wagging behind herself. Zakuro bit her lip, and she sat back down in her chair. "Great, that's exactly what I need." She mumbled, running her fingers through her hair.  
Zakuro tried to think of what to do, since she had to go on in a matter of seconds. She could always wear a hat, but how would she hide a tail? Zakuro took a deep breath, and the ears and the tail disappeared. She looked behind herself again, and she raised an eyebrow. What was going on, she certainly didn't expect to be turning into an animal. Zakuro got up from her chair, and she walked over to the mirror. She spun around, and saw that she had gone back to normal. Zakuro ran over to the mirror, and she fixed her hair. She fixed her make-up, and went over to the door. She opened it up, and ran out of the door. "Sorry that I took so long, but I had to fix my make-up!" She apologized, running over to the set.  
The interviewer chuckled, and he patted Zakuro on the shoulder. "That's all right, we're not on for five more minutes." He told her, walking away from her. Zakuro stared off into space, a bit annoyed by herself for being so worried.  
Five minutes later, Zakuro was in the middle of her interview. Farther away, in a very pink cafe, two men were sitting and watching her interview. One of the men, with a long brown ponytail and wearing a waiter's uniform, was serving tea. The other man was wearing casual clothes, and he looked very pleased. "She's going through her powers a lot faster than I figured, she's incredibly strong." He commented, putting his feet up on a table.  
The first man shrugged, and he sat down at the table. "We'll have to keep an eye on her, I don't think Momomiya-chan and Aizawa-chan are ready for this kind of teammate yet." He asserted, taking a drink from a teacup.  
The second man chuckled, and he pushed on his shoulder. "Yeah, well, I'll deal with it. I'm sure that I can take care of her, I have a way with our ladies." He stated, picking up a teacup.  
The first man paused for a moment, and he leaned his head against his hand. "She looks lonely..." He muttered, staring absent-mindedly at the T.V.  
The second man shrugged, and he leaned back in his chair. "She looks powerful, does it really matter if she is?" He questioned, stretching his legs out. The first man got up, and he walked into the kitchen. The second man clicked the T.V. off, as he got up from the table. He sighed, and looked towards the kitchen. "...Keichiro, she'll be fine!" He assured him, walking off into the kitchen.

After Zakuro had finished her interview, she hung around for a bit longer. It was a lonely walk back home, and she hated it. Sitting in her dressing room, she stared at herself and wondered what was happening to her. Nothing was making sense anymore, not even the usual things. She was fighting strange creatures, her sleeping schedule was all out of whack and she felt so strange. Somehow, it felt a bit lonely now. She hadn't felt lonely since she started to transform, and now she thought that she was just a freak. Zakuro sighed, and she pushed herself up from her chair. She walked out of her dressing room, as the crew were putting the set away. It might be nice if she could just be back to normal, she was so tired of being weird. "Out of the way, everybody!" A crewman called, unheard by Zakuro.  
Zakuro rubbed at her nose, and she continued walking. A crewman carrying a large pole was walking through, not noticing Zakuro coming through. Zakuro looked up, just in time to see the crewman. She grunted, and moved of the way. She began to back up, as the crewman passed through. Zakuro felt her foot slip, and she began to fall down a staircase that led to a storage room. Zakuro gasped, and she shut her eyes. How worse could her day get? She hit the stairs, but didn't fall down the steps. She groaned, and pushed herself up. She looked around, and saw people staring down at her. "I thought I saw someone fall down these steps, but it's just a dog." A man said, walking away from the stairs.  
Zakuro walked up the steps, finding that things were a lot higher than they were before. She looked up at a girl, who smiled at her. "It's cute, who does it belong to?" She asked, bending down and patting Zakuro on the head.  
Zakuro backed up, and she tried to figure out what was going on. She looked down at herself, and saw paws. She sat down, and looked behind herself. There was a wagging tail behind her, and she saw fur. Zakuro looked up at the people, and she swallowed. "H-Hey, what's going on?" She muttered, not sure what was going on anymore. All she heard was a yelp, but she knew it was her who had been talking. What could've been happening? Had she turned into a dog? Was she getting more and more powers? What was going on?!


	3. Zakuro Transforms

**Previously, Zakuro had just turned into a wolf. Set just after #2, this chapter continues Zakuro's story.**

Zakuro sat, dumbfounded, in the middle of the staircase. What had just happened? How could she just have turned into an animal? Why wasn't anyone freaking out? Zakuro got up onto her paws, and she started to walk forward. Maybe this was just a dream, and she was just very deep asleep. Zakuro looked around at people, and she found that they looked different. Maybe it was because she was short now, but they all looked a lot more terrifying now. Zakuro walked into her dressing room, and she jumped up onto the chair. She looked in the mirror, and saw a large grey dog. It looked very pretty, and it had strange purple eyes. Zakuro whimpered, and she laid her head on her paws. This couldn't be happening, she said to herself. People didn't just turn into animals, and that was a fact. How could her powers do this to her? Someone walked into the dressing room, stopping when they saw Zakuro. "A dog?" The person questioned, walking up to Zakuro.  
Zakuro looked up at the person, and saw that it was one of the back-up dancers for her upcoming concert. She couldn't remember his name though, strangely enough. The boy pushed Zakuro out of the chair, and grabbed the back of her neck. He started to pull her out, even though Zakuro tried to stop herself. Zakuro yelped, trying to get the boy's attention. Zakuro saw that he wasn't listening to her, and she knew that something had to be done. Quickly, Zakuro turned to bite him. The boy dropped her, and Zakuro ran out of the dressing room. She ran out into the studio, trying to get away before she was caught again. But everything looked so different from down here, she wasn't sure how to get away. Zakuro tripped over a cord, getting her paw tangled up in it. Zakuro pulled a camera down, and she knocked a cardboard wall. The camera men ran up to Zakuro, trying to grab onto her. Zakuro tried to scramble up, but her paw was completely tied up.  
Then, someone walked up to the cameramen. "Leave it alone, guys!" Someone exclaimed, pushing aside everyone. Zakuro looked up, and she saw Mari. It was strange, but she looked very friendly from this angle. Mari knelt down by Zakuro, and she untangled her paw. She patted Zakuro's head, and smiled kindly. "Hey, little puppy. You must be lost, I'll get you some food." She asserted, rubbing her head softly.  
Mari got up, and she started to walk away. Zakuro, with a strange feeling, got up and followed Mari. She didn't know why, but she seemed like someone she could trust. Mari walked into the break room, keeping the door open for Zakuro. Zakuro trotted in, seeing the rest of the back-up dancers of her concert. They all looked tired, and they didn't appear to be happy. Mari walked up to a small fridge, and she took out a sandwich. Zakuro sat down by the table, and she looked around at everyone. They didn't seem to be trying to hurt her, but they stared angrily at her. "It's just a stupid dog, I don't see why we have to take care of it." A girl muttered, taking a drink from her soda.  
Mari walked over to Zakuro, and she handed the sandwich to her. "There you go, we had an extra." She explained to her, sitting down by Zakuro.  
A boy nodded, and he leaned back in his chair. "These practices have been brutal, and it's not like Fujiwara has been to these rehearsals in forever. She acts like she's the best, and it's getting annoying." He complained, stirring his food slowly.  
Zakuro remembered the rehearsal dates, and she knew that each time they had been on, she had been fighting monsters or resting up. She opened her mouth to say something, but she remembered that she couldn't say anything. She shut her mouth, and started to eat her sandwich. Mari started to pet Zakuro, and she chuckled. "I'm sure that it'll be fine, even if Fujiwara-chan messes up. We'll just get a big boost in popularity, and Fujiwara-chan will be taken down a peg." She joked, pushing herself up from the ground.  
Zakuro looked up at her, noticing the hate in their voices as they said their names. It was strange, but she couldn't help but think that they wouldn't be sad if she broke her leg at that concert. Zakuro continued eating, a bit irritated that they'd think she was so callous. Another girl got up from the table, and she walked over to the fridge. "Sometimes, I think that Fujiwara-chan is one of the few people I can't stand. I wish she had never been an idol, she sucks." She stated, taking out a jar.  
Zakuro stopped eating, and she looked up at everyone. They didn't want her around, did they? It was strange, but she knew that. No one really liked her, she had tried to distance herself as it was. She didn't find it easy to trust people, and it was getting harder with her powers. Not only was she talented, but she was different. Zakuro got up from the floor, and she walked over to the door. Mari took a drink from her soda, and she stretched back. "I think that Fujiwara-chan is just strange, she never fits in with everyone else. I'm beginning to think that she's going to have a nervous breakdown soon." She said, making everyone else laugh.  
Zakuro growled, and she ran out of the break room. She didn't need their praise, she was strong enough to survive by herself. People needed to be protected, and it was up to Zakuro. All alone, she could protect the whole world on her own. Zakuro ran up to the studio door, but it was locked. They were filming again, weren't they? No one would let her out, so she'd have to get out of here herself. It might not hurt to never come back, even if she stayed a wolf. People would stop bothering her, it might just be better. Zakuro growled again, and she jumped up to grab the doorknob. Her paws couldn't wrap around it, but she wasn't going to get stuck in here. No one wanted her here, and she was determined to get away. Zakuro jumped at the doorknob again, but it was locked shut. Zakuro panted, and she backed up. If she made a running start, she could probably break it down.  
Just as Zakuro prepared to run, someone walked to her. They stood there for a bit, just staring at her. Zakuro looked up at them, ready to run in case they tried to hurt her. The person was wearing a trench coat, but a long brown ponytail was laying across their shoulder. It looked like a man, but Zakuro couldn't quite see past the trench coat. The man chuckled, and he bent down to pet Zakuro's head. She stepped away from him, and she snarled quietly. The man sighed, and he knelt down by Zakuro. "Poor little girl, you got lost again." A man whispered to her, reaching out for Zakuro.  
Zakuro snarled, and she backed away from him. "Just leave me alone!" She shouted, although she knew he wouldn't be able to understand her.  
He looked surprised and a little hurt, but he didn't reach out for her again. Zakuro stared at him, wondering why he wouldn't just leave her alone. The man dropped his hands into his lap, and he smiled. "You're very pretty for a dog, Fujiwara-chan." He commented, his face still obscured by the coat. Zakuro grunted, and she stepped closer to him. How did he know who she was? The man reached out for Zakuro's head, and this time, she didn't move. He patted her head, very gently and relaxing. "Don't worry, we'll be here for you in a bit." He told her, looking around quickly. Zakuro wondered if he was supposed to be here, but she figured that it wasn't important. The man sighed, and he sat up straight. "You're not alone, there are others. If you'll just wait a bit longer, you'll see how many people there are like you." He said, speaking quickly and nervously. Zakuro looked up at him, and she tilted her head. He was just staring down at her, acting as if he could understand anything she said. Zakuro didn't like what he was saying, it was stupid. She didn't need anyone, all they did was get in the way. The man chuckled softly, and he kissed the top of Zakuro's head.  
Zakuro gasped, and she shut her eyes. A strange light began to come from her, as if she was changing again. Zakuro scrambled to get up, and when she opened her eyes, the man had gone away. Zakuro looked around, and everything had gone back to normal. She looked at her paw, and saw that it was now a hand. Zakuro got up from the ground, and she pushed her hair out of her face. She hadn't expected to ever go back to normal, and now...what had happened?  
A cameraman ran up to Zakuro, and he sighed. "Zakuro, what are you still doing here? You're supposed to be at your apartment by now, getting some rest." He commented, pushing on her shoulder.  
Zakuro stared at him, and she nodded slowly. "Right...I'll be going now." She mumbled, putting her hand on the doorknob. That man knew who she was, and he claimed to know that there were others like her. But...where? Zakuro unlocked the door, and she walked out of the studio.

Several days later, it was time for Zakuro's concert. Everything was ready, and people were running around. Zakuro was sitting in her dressing room, thinking about what her back-up dancers had said. They didn't like her, and she was about to go on stage with them. Zakuro got up from her seat, and she sighed. She didn't need people to like her, but it might be easier to work with them if they did. Zakuro walked over to the door, and she looked out at the stage. It was so bright out there, and her back-up dancers were still practicing. Zakuro shrugged, and she walked out to them. They all stopped dancing when they saw her, just staring at her as if they hated her. Zakuro crossed her arms, and she smiled sweetly. "You're doing great, guys." She muttered, pushing her hair out of her face.  
Mari crossed her arms, and she nodded. "Thanks, Zakuro." She said, although her voice showed that she wasn't too happy.  
Zakuro sighed, and she put her hands on her hips. "I know that I haven't been here much, but I'll try to make up for it." She stated, twirling her hair around her finger.  
The back-up dancers stared at her, and they all walked away from her. Zakuro scoffed, and she rubbed at her arms. She had tried to be nice, and then they had gone and been so stupid. What was with them? What was the point of trying to be friends with someone, if all they did was expect you to do everything. Zakuro growled, and she shook her head. That wasn't going to be her, she was going to be strong on her own. She only needed herself, others were unimportant.

Inside the cafe, the two men were watching the T.V. Playing on the T.V. was Zakuro's concert, and it was going great. She looked so happy, but the men looked as if they were watching a depressing documentary. The man with the ponytail sighed, and he took a sip of his tea. "Well, it shouldn't be long before the rest of them are at equal levels." He commented, putting more sugar into the tea.  
The other man nodded, and he kept his eyes on the T.V. The door behind them opened, and a young girl walked in. "Hey, Shirogane-san, Akasaka-san!" She called to them, running over to the T.V.  
The other man looked up at the young girl, and he scoffed. "Your hair is dripping wet, Ichigo. What happened?" He questioned, leaning back in his chair.  
Ichigo chuckled, and she picked up a teacup from the tray. "We found another teammate, and she's super nice! I fell in a pool, which is why I'm wet." She explained, taking a drink from the cup. She sighed, and shook water onto the man. She looked at the T.V., and tilted her head. "What you watching, anything interesting?" She inquired, looking down at the man with the ponytail.  
The man with the ponytail turned the T.V. off, and he got up from his chair. "We were just watching the news, then we were too lazy to turn off the T.V." He asserted, picking up the tray. Ichigo sighed, and she walked out of the room.  
The other man looked at the first man, and he took a deep breath. "They better find her soon, I'm getting a bit annoyed of always lying to them." He complained, getting up from the chair.  
The man with the ponytail groaned, and he walked out of the room. "You're telling me, you didn't have to talk to Fujiwara-san." He said, shutting the door behind himself as he left.


End file.
